


Safe

by themagnificentquack



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow and the Canaries (TV)
Genre: Dinah gay panics HARD, F/F, Laurel is anxious bc for some reason i cant let her b happy, Mutual Pining, bed sharing, laurel also has no idea how to have a friend, oh my god they were roomates, or interact w other ppl, un beta'd bc i didn't want to :/
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themagnificentquack/pseuds/themagnificentquack
Summary: laurel sleeps on the floor bc she's hiding from dinah's giant window bc it makes her anxious so the obvious solution is to share dinah's bed so its dinah seeing laurel on the floor then the day happens and then they sleep in dinah's bed together
Relationships: Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> this ones hella long (at least for me) and maybe a little boring so idk be prepared for that ig 
> 
> also apparently embarassedly isn't a word??? how else would i say that? why is english

Dinah walked quietly down the stairs, careful not to wake her new roommate. She was surprised to see a bundle of blankets on the floor. At first she thought (with a flash of guilt) that Laurel must've fallen off the couch during the night, Once she got closer however, she realized that Laurel brought the couch cushions down with her. 

She crept closer (for investigative purposes of course) but she immediately got distracted. Laurel looked younger, and almost peaceful without the weight of her past on her shoulders. It was disconcerting t see how different she looked- how much of a toll being awake took on her. The thought made Dinah's heart squeeze in her chest.

Her gaze traveled over Laurel's face. She noted all of the lines and curves that she wished she had to courage to admire when they were both awake. God Laurel was so beautiful.

Distracted, Dinah shifted her stance unknowingly, causing the floor to creak underneath her. She cringed when Laurel's eyes instantly shot open.

"Sorry," she whispered "Go back to sleep."

Laurel smiled at her and dragged her hand across her face.

"S'okay," she said. "I should get up now anyway."

She stumbled to her feet and started putting the couch back together, fitting the cushions on the couch and adjusting them until it was perfect.

She turned around to pick up and fold the blanket, and realized that Dinah was still standing there. A small smile stole its way onto her face. "Do you need my help with something?: she asked. She wasn't sure if Dinah was waiting for her or if this was just a thing friends did- the elusive hanging out perhaps?

It took a second for Dinah's brain to comprehend what Laurel said- she was distracted by the tired eyes, and messy hair, and it was weird to see Laurel look so normal. It kind of took Dinah's breath away.

But once she did hear Laurel she smiled embarrassedly, knowing she was caught. "Um... I was just wondering why you slept on the floor," she said quietly.

Laurel fiddled with her sleeve in what Dinah recognized as a nervous habit. She thought she saw a hint of guilt in Laurel's eyes but she wasn't sure.

"The big window freaks me out," Laurel mumbled. "Makes me feel vulnerable."

"Oh Laur I'm so sorry, I had no idea-"

"It's okay, really. Don't worry about it," Laurel interrupted.

"Did you get any sleep?" Dinah asked worriedly.

"Yeah of cou-" she interrupted herself by yawning before continuing, "Of course."

Dinah rolled her eyes at the obvious lie. "How about you sleep in my bed tonight," she offered.

"D I'm not going to take your bed from you. It's no big deal, really," Laurel replied.

"We can share," Dinah said. "City saving requires sleep. I would know, I've done it three times," she added with a grin.

Laurel smacked her playfully with a pillow.

"I guess that was my problem," she joked.

Dinah shook her head. "Nope. You just needed a team."

Laurel opened her mouth to respond- because she teamed up with Adrian Chase, thank you very much- but before she could say anything Dinah cut in, " A team you can trust."

"Bold to assume I trust you," Laurel teased.

Dinah gasped in mock pain.

"I'm just joking," Laurel said, bumping their shoulders together. "I trust you more than anyone."

"You don't know anyone else," Dinah replied.

Laurel grinned. "That's fair. But even if I did, I'd still trust you more."

"God you're so cheesy," Dinah mumbled. She leaned in to press a quick kiss on Laurel's cheek before she could stop herself. Then she hurried off to the kitchen so she wouldn't have to face the consequences and shouted, "Do you want coffee?" as an excuse for her escape.

It took Laurel a moment before she could get out a quiet, "Yeah."

She sat for a moment a caught her breath before wandering over and taking a seat at Dinah's kitchen island.

"How do you take your coffee?" Dinah asked.

It was weird realizing that even with all of their history, they didn't really know each other at all.

"Just sugar please," Laurel said. Being polite didn't come naturally to her- she'd learned a long time ago that you get what you want by demanding it- but she didn't want to do that with Dinah, not anymore. She usually didn't give a fuck but she wanted Dinah to like her, maybe more than anything. She was embarrassed even thinking about it.

Dinah put her coffee in front of her and Laurel accepted it with a distracted smile.

Dinah titled her head to the side and asked, "What are thinking about?"

Now Laurel had a nasty habit of living based off of her instincts- which used to work when her instincts were snark and threats of murder- but now it caused her to say," You" instead of coming up with an excuse (also known as a lie) like a normal person.

Dinah's eyes widened and she could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as she looked down at her coffee.

"Do you want to help me take inventory today?" Dinah asked.

Oof. Laurel cringed internally at the change of topic. On one hand it was a relief to get away from dangerous, potentially feelings infested territory, but on the other hand that seemed like a pretty clear rejection. Damn. She must've read too much into that kiss.

Realizing she was meant to reply, Laurel shook herself out of her thoughts. "I have to leave for a job interview around one but I can help until then," she replied.

'Damn. How'd you get an interview so fast?" Dinah asked.

Laurel grinned. She always loved a good change to brag. "I have an excellent fake resume," she said. "Apparently I've been a translator for years."

"Ooh, what language?" Dinah asked.

"Cantonese. Cayden James had some cronies in Hong Kong," Laurel explained.

"Fancy," Dinah said with a chuckle.

"I'm gonna get dressed, I'll meet you down there?" she added.

Laurel nodded in assent and finished her coffee in one big gulp.

\---

God damn. Laurel had no idea that Dinah Drake in overalls was something she needed to see but jesus christ. She actually stumbled a little at the sight- she was so distracted she forgot how to walk.

Dinah smiled and handed her a clipboard, oblivious to how hard Laurel was trying not to stare.

They spent the morning working in silence, occasionally smiling when their eyes met, neither of them brave enough to try to start a conversation.

Dinah's stomach grumbled around eleven and she realized they needed eat breakfast. She paused, afraid to break the peaceful silence, before asking, "Do you want to get lunch?"

Laurel hesitated a moment- because socializing for long enough to eat a meal was so not in her wheelhouse- but saying no to Dinah was even worse so she nodded in agreement.

They hurried up to the apartment to grab jackets and wallets. Laurel checked her phone while she waited for Dinah to come downstairs. There were no new messages of course. She closed it with a sigh of boredom and twiddled her thumbs.

Dinah came hurrying down the stairs and surprised Laurel by intertwining their fingers. Dammit. She was not going to make it easy to get over this crush.

They walked hand in hand to the nearby restaurant and Laurel was painfully aware of all of the people around them. She had seen too much of the world to be able to walk down the street without thinking about how anyone nearby could be a threat. She stepped closer to Dinah to avoid contact with a passerby and Dinah threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach so she could stay alert but then Dinah leaned in to say, "It's just up here," and her breath was warm against Laurel's neck and her voice was so sexy, and fuck Laurel was so gone. 

They turned out of the crowd and into a small restaurant that was comfortingly quiet. Laurel could see why Dinah liked it- why she liked 2040 as a whole. It was peaceful. Without the threat of crime and the constant looking over the shoulder, the people of Star City seemed relaxed, maybe even happy. Laurel used to be the only person who knew better. She felt guilty for putting that burden on Dinah as well, but then she remembered their conversation from the other night. Hopefully having a purpose was worth more than happiness. She wasn't too sure. Ignorance is bliss after all.

They waited for their order in silence. Laurel wasn't sure how to talk to someone without involving manipulation or threats of violence, and she didn't want to do either so she stayed quiet.

When their order arrived Dinah made small talk about the food and Laurel tried to pay attention but she didn't want to do this, not with Dinah, and it grated on her until she blurted out," Do we really have nothing to talk about?"

Dinah looked a little offended and Laurel cringed at her own brashness.

"Sorry," she said. "I guess I'm just a little too eager to be your friend. I just want to skip the small talk and get to the part where I know your coffee order, and the people you don't like, and what makes you happy. "

Laurel's brain caught up with the word vomit that had just come out of her mouth and she dropped her head in her hands.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled.

Dinah chuckled. "I think it's cute that you babble when you're nervous. It's so unlike the old you."

Laurel shifted so her chin was resting on her forearms so she could look up at Dinah.

"And yes, we can skip the small talk," Dinah said.

Laurel heaved a sigh of relief that she hadn't just ruined everything and then proceeded to listen to Dinah talk about each of her employees, especially Chad who was the reason Dinah had to put up signs in the kitchen reminding people to clean up before they left for the night.

Laurel listened intently, soaking up every detail she could about Dinah and the way she interacted with the world. It made her happy learning about Dinah. She could so caught up in the conversation that she forgot all about her interview.

She checked her watch idly and realized she would have to eave now if she wanted time to get ready. She told Dinah and hurried out, promising to back her back as she ran out the door. Then she ran all the way back to Dinah's apartment.

\---

Dinah finished up inventory alone, humming along to the music playing. The chorus came up and she danced along, almost crashing into Laurel, who had just gotten back from her interview.

"Hey," she said, slightly out of breath.

Laurel smiled at her and it was then that Dinah realized that she was wearing a suit. She'd known Laurel would be dressing up of course, but holy shit she wasn't prepared for her to look so fucking hot. Her heart was beating out of her chest and jesus christ Laurel was quite possibly the sexiest person Dinah had ever met.

"How's inventory going?" Laurel asked.

Dinah's mind was totally blank. She truly had no idea what to say. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, searching her brain and finding nothing but Laurel.

"You okay?" Laurel asked worriedly.

Dinah nodded. "Yeah. Yep. So good," she said.

Laurel tilted her head to the side searching for signs that Dinah was high... or about to have a stroke.

"Interview. How was your interview?" Dinah asked, trying to pull herself together.

Laurel shrugged. I don't think they'll call, but I'm sure I'll get another one. I have a fake masters degree," she said with a confident grin.

Dinah blinked. 'I want to kiss you so bad' was running through her mind on repeat but all that came out was "Oh."

Laurel gave her an odd look, but said nothing.

"I'm going to go upstairs and change, and then I'll help you finish up, okay?"

Dinah nodded dumbly, her gaze slipping to Laurel's ass as she walked away.

The second she was out of sight Dinah leaned against the nearest shelf and let out the breath she had been holding. She needed to pull herself together and stop thirsting over her closest friend. But it would be fine. Laurel would come back down in pajamas and the temperature in the room would go down (someone must've fucked with the thermostat or something because holy shit it had gotten hot in there all of a sudden) and Dinah's crush would go back to being manageable.

The only problem was, when Laurel got back downstairs the desire to kiss her was still there. She could breathe now, and her brain was able to comprehend thoughts other than 'push me up against this shelf right fucking now' but she still wanted to kiss Laurel. Like really, really, badly. It was different, softer now that her mind wasn't clouded with lust. Now she wanted to rest her hand on the back of Laurel's neck, draw her in slowly, and kiss her like it meant something.

She had to stop herself from reaching out to Laurel several times as they finished up inventory together, and she founded herself smiling as she tried to pretend not to notice Laurel stealing her liquor.

"At least mark it down on the sheet if you're going to steal it," she said.

"Sorry," Laurel replied with an abashed grin. "It's just so tempting. I don't know how you don't drink through all your stores."

Dinah dragged Laurel away from the alcohol and into the elevator. "No more free drinks. I'm serious," she said.

Laurel sighed. "Ah well. It's probably for the best anyway."

The elevator opened with a ding! and Laurel instantly made her way over to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

"Hey the decryption finished!" Dinah called.

Laurel sat up and made her way over to Dinah's desk where Trevor's laptop was waiting to be torn apart for leads.

"Do you mind going through the laptop?" Dinah asked. "I need to do some paperwork."

"I got this," Laurel replied, taking the laptop back to the couch with her and propping her feet up on the coffee table. It wasn't long before Dinah joined her and they worked together in companionable silence until Laurel said, "I think I might have something."

Dinah put her work aside and shuffled closer to look over her shoulder.

Laurel struggled to breathe normally with Dinah so close, so she poured all of her focus into the computer to distract herself.

The lead turned out to be a dud, and so was the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that. Laurel continued searching with dogged enthusiasm, and she would've kept going late into the night if Dinah hadn't stopped her.

"C'mon," she said, closing the laptop. "It's almost midnight."

Laurel grumbled her disapproval. She hated failing.

"Let's go to bed," Dinah said, pulling Laurel off the couch and out of her thoughts.

Oh right. Bed. Together.

Laurel's heart beat faster just thinking about it.

Her budding anxiety told her to bal, but she glanced over at the giant window and shivered. Definitely better to take her chance with Dinah.

She followed Dinah upstairs to her room, taking a look around once she got there. She liked seeing the little things- the tack of books on the nightstand, the tangled earbuds.... it felt like she was getting a look into Dinah's world and she felt so privilege to be able to-

Holy shit Dinah was shirtless. She was facing away from Laurel, rifling through her dresser for a pajama shirt and the muscles on her arms and back and beginnings of the soft slope of her hips were all on full display.

"Do you have a side of the bed you prefer to sleep on?" she asked casually.

Laurel swallowed. "No I'm good either way," she said.

Dinah looked over her shoulder to smile at her and Laurel felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. "I prefer the right then, If you don't mind."

She slipped a pajama shirt over her head and pulled off her pants to replace them with a comfier pair.

Woah. Her legs were really nice to look at.

Once she was dressed, she pulled out her earrings and turned to face Laurel. She looked nice all cozy and soft. Laurel kind of wanted to ask for a hug, but then the moment was over and they were getting into bed and it was too late.

Dinah turned out the light and Laurel adjusted her position so she could see all of the potential entry points. She was kind of glad to be sleeping in bed with Dinah- now she could keep her safe.

"How do you feel about cuddling?" Dinah asked, her disembodied voice floating over to Laurel through the darkness.

Laurel hesitated. If there was an intruder she would have to waste a precious few seconds escaping Dinah's grip. But... "That sounds really nice actually," Laurel said.

Dinah moved over to lay her head on Laurel's chest and wrap an arm around her waist.

"Your heart's beating really fast," she murmured.

Laurel blushed. "It'll slow down," she said. "I'm just scanning the area."

"Oh," Dinah said. She sounded almost... dissapointed?

Laurel could feel Dinah's mouth move against her chest as she continued, "I was kind of hoping it was because you like me."

Laurel paused as Dinah's words sunk in. A multiple of emotions swirled through her head and overloaded her thoughts: happiness, doubt, fear, and something akin to relief.

"I do like you," she admitted quietly.

"Cool. I like you too," Dinah said.

A dopey smile formed on Laurel's face. She almost couldn't believe it. There was so much she wanted to say but the only thing that came out was, "Cool."

She hesitated, gathering her courage, and then asked, "Can I kiss you in the morning?"

Dinah's grip on her waist grew tighter. "Yes," she whispered.

Laurel knew her heart was beating like crazy, but she didn't care. She felt like she was on top of the world with just her and Dinah, where no one else could get to them. When she was with Dinah, she was safe.


End file.
